“It is time we got rid of the myriad factors making it expensive and risky for businesses to employ people – especially young people. Unfair dismissal legislation, the minimum wage, excessive regulation and tax – these are all areas the government must tackle if it wants to get unemployment under control.

“The unemployment rate hitting 8.3% should be a big wake-up call that businesses are struggling to employ new people. Instead of adding to the regulatory burden – as the government is doing despite its rhetoric – the government should be cutting red tape. The same legislation which was originally intended to try and protect people is now harming them, it should go.”